Beverage receptacles can be difficult to clean, as an inherent consequence of the basic shape requirements. In particular, the beverage contacting surface is not amenable to manual washing, as the interior surface is recessed and difficult to contact. This is particularly the case for beverage receptacles which often contain powdered drinks, such as baby formula or protein powder. Nursing bottles, for example, often need to be washed with an extended scrubbing brush which is capable of accessing the inner recesses of the receptacle. Failure to properly clean the inner portion of a beverage receptacle can result in microbiotic growth, and illness for subsequent users of the receptacle.
Various solutions to these problems have been proposed by those skilled in the art. For example, see U.S. Published Application No. 2009/0108009; Japanese Published Application No. JP200393477; PCT Published Application No. WO2012/115491; Korean Publication No. 1020110024959; U.S. Pat. No. 8,267,271; U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,110; PCT Published Application No. WO2010/121800; and a commercialized product sold under the name of TIGEX (http://www.tigex.com/uk/content/reversible-cup). While each of these products appears suitable for its intended purpose, none of these configurations provide a satisfactory solution to the need for a simple and effective way to expose an interior surface of a container for cleaning and drying purposes. Thus, there has been a long felt, unresolved need for a receptacle which provides facile access to, washability and drying of, the inner, or beverage-contacting, surface.